Press Release

Douglass, KS, USA, December 5, 2023 -- Woody Auction will ring in the New Year on Saturday, January 6th, with an automated online-only antique auction, with Internet bidding on LiveAuctioneers.com. The sale, starting at 9:30 am Central time, will feature Haviland Limoges in presidential style, headlined by a private collection out of Colorado offering an array of quality Haviland Limoges and other fine pieces.

These will include American Brilliant Cut Glass (ABCG), KPM, Lalique, Haviland terra cotta, Meissen, R. S. Prussia and more. The prize piece is an 1880s President Rutherford B. Hayes White House fish platter with presidential seal, made specifically for private sale. “It’s one of the most important pieces of Limoges Woody Auction has ever sold in public auction,” said Jason Woody.

The Rutherford B. Hayes White House fish platter with historical presidential seal is exceedingly rare and is the auction’s expected top lot, with an estimate of $5,000-$8,000. The platter (lot #45 in the catalog) features folded corners that were very difficult to form, a hand-painted fish, the shad, signed "D" (for designer Theodore Davis), and gold netting highlights. It’s marked “Haviland & Company”.

According to the book Official White House China by Klapthor, details about the set can be found in a reprint of an 1879 publication by Haviland about the state dinner service. The platter would have been expressly made for the public based on the 1880 design. That service is considered the most ambitious and costly of presidential orders. The back of the platter features the full presidential seal and emblem.

Also up for bid is a copy of the book Official White House China, 1798 to the Present.

Lot 114 is a pair of faience (tin glazed earthenware) pottery vases, featuring two distinct scenes of a Hen House and a Duck House, plus three-dimensional trees with fence posts, chickens and ducks, and other hand-painted scenes. The vases boast exceptional detail and quality and are marked with “E. G.” (for Edward Gilles) on the base. Standing 11 ½ inches tall, the vases are expected to fetch $750-$1,500.

Lot 267 is a group of eleven plates marked KPM porcelain, 9 ¼ inches in diameter, each one having an incredible hand-painted animal decor with German names, including hasen (rabbit), rehback (antelope), rothirsch (elk), rehricke m. kitzen (doe and two fawns), hase u. krahen (hawk chasing rabbit), wild schwein (wild pig) and others. The group should hit $750-$1,750. There are 35 KPM plates in the sale.

“As with all Woody Auction events, this one will be absolute, without reserves, so every item will go to a new forever home, and we hope yours is the one,” Mr. Woody said. Here is an online link to the catalog: www.liveauctioneers.com/woody-auction-llc. Bidders are encouraged to register 48 hours in advance. All online terms and conditions apply. There is no phone or absentee bidding in this auction.

“Keep in mind, even though you may get an excellent deal on your prices in this auction, shipping costs remain the same and may seem high compared to your winning bids,” Mr. Woody said. “We do our best to keep shipping costs as low as possible while wrapping everything securely to arrive in excellent condition. We charge the bidder what we pay for the materials, and pass our UPS discount on to you.”

Woody Auction has attempted to call any flaws that can affect the value of an item. Condition reports are not available for online only auctions, but Woody Auction will stand behind the items’ condition. Common nicks and scratches have not been called. The prevailing sales tax will be charged to all buyers unless they are reselling the items. In this case, a sales tax exemption license must be provided.

To learn more about Woody Auction and the automated online-only antique auction slated for Saturday, January 6th, at 9:30 am Central time, please visit www.woodyauction.com. Updates are posted often.

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